The Returnees
by mikmik121
Summary: (Warning: this story contains spoilers from the recent manga chapters). Levi has been sitting in patient wait since he was left out of the most recent expeditions. But nothing is the same after any mission outside the walls and he'll find out that some are lucky enough to escape with their lives. But at what cost?


"Captain," he diverted his eyes from the paper sitting in his hand to look at the uninvited visitor who had just entered with urgency in their voice. "We just got word that...they're back from their mission."  
He scoffed uninterested at the news, bringing his eyes back onto the paper in front of him and grabbing his warm drink beside him and taking a sip. After a moment the soldier stood there still holding a look that was almost ghastly. "If that's all that you have to say, you can get the hell out-"  
"Erwin," the name suddenly lit his eyes up with newfound interest. He placed the white, porcelain cup to the side and laid the paperwork back on the table. "No one has told me anything definite yet...the scouts are still coming back even now but we've caught word that something's happened to him."  
"Do you know what happened to him exactly."  
The other shook their head and looked down at their feet silently. "It could easily be some stupid kid's idea of being funny but I feel...uneasy about it."  
"If you're going on some stupid rumor then I'd rather not trust it." He huffed and continued with his work as to dismiss the other. "He couldn't have gotten into that much trouble without me there for one expedition..."  
The interest in his eye had faded mostly but a glint of unease still showed in his eye and sat heavily in his stomach.

* * *

"Captain!" He groaned as the voice had returned, now much more urgent and attention-grabbing. "T-They're back!"  
The voice irritated him once more, especially the fact that they threw the door open with a surprising slam. "I don't see anything so-"  
"Erwin's in the infirmary!" There was a skip in his heart at the news that had been tossed so suddenly towards him. "He...He was asking for you. He's refusing treatment until he does and if you don't..."  
"What happened?" He managed, standing up and knocking over his drink onto all the papers on his table without a care. "We're talking about one of humanity's greatest. Besides, if he refuses any treatment-"  
"Just come!" That was enough to get Levi to walk behind the other with a stoic face as always but his mind buzzing in thought. Not a word left either's lips, not even when Levi was being hastily ushered this way and that to just find where his ally was.  
Moments passed by almost too slowly until he finally was brought into the room where Erwin was waiting patiently in a medical cot. The fading sunlight shone onto him from the window that was sitting to his right and the curtains sitting limp and still. Alive, that was enough good news to get him through whatever this whole mystery injury was. Otherwise he looked normal, a little scraped up but normal.  
He stared out the window, uniform still on a messed up somewhat. Deep in thought it looked like. If anything, he looked like he was tossed off his horse one too may times and was suffering a concussion at the worst.  
"You're a dumbass." Was his first words as he entered and neared Erwin who had turned his head at the sound of Levi's voice, an obnoxious smile - at least to Levi - stuck to his face. "I don't know what the hell is going on but if you think seeing me is more important then treatment of whatever paper-cut you got-"  
His voice was turned off as Erwin turned his body slightly more towards Levi, getting him to notice the tourniquet on his right arm. Or rather, where his right arm had been before he left for the mission to retrieve Eren. "It's a little bit bigger then a paper-cut I'm afraid. But I'm sure it's all the same to you-"  
Erwin was cut off abruptly by Levi rushing over and gripping his shoulders but being continually weary of his right one. "You really are an idiot! What the hell happened to you in the few hours you were gone!?"  
"I wasn't taking a stroll through a daisy patch if that's what you're asking." The other replied seriously with a glance. "The titan that did this to me is dead now, I can assure you of that."  
"That's not what I'm asking," he hissed back. "You're not taking this seriously enough Erwin."  
"I am," he smiled once more and looks to the door where a light shuffling and some talking sounded from. "If you're all so worried out there, you can come in and start helping."  
Without hesitation the door opened with a slam and Levi was near-literally kicked out of the room.

* * *

It felt like hours before he was allowed back in, Erwin laying asleep in his cot and the moonlight now hitting his face. No one was invincible to pain and burning the skin to help the smarting wound must've been excruciating and exhausting. Levi sighed, looking at the other injured in the small room rest up as well. They didn't seem to be in as bad a condition as Erwin was and were probably moved in after he was tended to.  
Levi sighed once again, grabbing a chair from the side and dragging it next to Erwin's bedside to just watch over him for a few moments. It wasn't normal to see pain written on his face especially when anyone's face would be peaceful and soft. Levi poked Erwin's face, watching as it changed into discomfort and quickly contorted back to pain.  
"It was one mission without me," Levi grumbled with a furrowed brow. "I didn't think I needed to be your goddamn babysitter every time you venture outside the walls. I'm surprised you managed before I joined..."  
Silence settled in once more, making his stomach churn in discomfort as Erwin's face changed back to a more sleepy, peaceful one. Levi sighed for the umpteenth time that day, standing up and giving a light peck to the other's temple before exiting the room with the thought of going to sleep in his own bed.  
Before he could exit the room though, he paused and looked back at the sleeping bodies and found an empty cot between two soldiers, one who's head was wrapped and one eye bandaged and the other with their leg distorted in some weird shape. Maybe it wouldn't be the most comfortable sleep but at least the soldiers in the room would be appreciative of him for caring enough to stay in the room overnight in the first place.  
Sleep didn't come easily - as if it ever seemed to - with all these thoughts consuming his mind and the unfamiliarity of the room and it's sterile scent not being any help. He'd have to redo the paperwork he ruined from earlier and with the scouts returned, play coroner and tally up who died and if possible, how. Usually that was enough to keep him up for hours yet the thoughts eventually ceased to swarm in his head and a peaceful, deep sleep came to him.  
By the time he was waking up the sun was already raised high in the sky and many of the Legion nurses were at work tending to the injured. Erwin, much to Levi's displeasure was still unconscious but being made sure that he was comfortable in his his recuperation.  
"Captain Levi," the man propped himself up to be faced with the glances of some of the injured laying unhappily and painfully beside him. "Are we really making any difference in humanity by doing this? Even Erwin..."  
"You got Eren back, right?" He asked loud enough for everyone to hear. "That's one of the most important things we can do right now. With his extraordinary ability we should be able to reclaim our fallen territory."  
He sat up completely, glaring at every eye that was on him currently. "You've all done well as soldiers. You deserve time to heal and rest after the important part of humanity's history you've all just played."  
With that, he left.

* * *

"It took you fucking long enough to wake up," the blond rolled his head over, eyes still heavy with exhaustion to the - short - man sitting on the chair beside him with a usual scowl on his face. His head turned away,"go get the commander something to eat."  
"I'm alright for now." Erwin tried to sit up, forgetting about his right arm for a moment and falling quickly to the right and nearly off the bed if it weren't for Levi grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back up right. "Maybe not as okay as I originally made myself believe."  
"You don't have to push yourself right now Erwin." Levi hissed back at him as they settled once more. "You've been asleep for over a day now. Your body is still too weak to be doing anything."  
"I'll manage."  
Levi's eyes narrowed but eventually he shrugged and crossed his arms. "Eren's comrades...Reiner and Bertold I believe? Did they get away?"  
"Yes," Erwin sighed himself, bringing his left hand to his face and brushing the hair away from his forehead. "As did that one girl, Ymir. But we managed to get Eren back in...reasonable condition."  
"Yet you come back missing a limb entirely." The other hissed back with a glare. "You're not allowed to go on any expeditions without me henceforth."  
"It's not like I'll be able to anymore. A commander with one arm missing...it was hard enough trying to steer my horse on the way back." He sighed and laid back down again. "I'm happy I escaped with my life but there isn't much for a amputee like me to do in a place like this..."  
"Then you'll just have to stay here and help out with...something." For a moment Erwin believed he heard a crack in the stoic voice but shoved it off as he continued. "I'll be sure that if someone says anything about it that they're asses'll be so sore that they won't be able to sit for a year."  
"That's nice of you," he smiled and shifted to the side. "You're tired...there are bags beneath your eyes. Why don't you go sleep?"  
"Because I haven't been able to." He answered promptly back, standing up suddenly and going to the exit. "Never mind...it doesn't concern you."  
Lies.  
It seemed as if everything did.


End file.
